Improved safety harness-buckle



lhtited tate aient (attire.

Letters Patent No. 98,147, dated December 2l, 1869-.

IMPROV'ED SAFETY HARNESS-BUCKLE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

I, J om: GHESNUT, Jr., of Hustontown, in the county of Fulton, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Safety Harness-Buckle, of which the following is a specification:

The first part of my invention relates to the combination of a loose detachable centre bar or pin with the frame of Aa trace-buckle, the object theref being to so construct the buckle as that the trace shall be divided by the removal of the centre-pin, so that in case of accident, or when the horses becomeuninanigeable, they may be instantly released from the veiicle. l

It relatesalso to the combination of detachablesideplates, to support the shafts with the detachable centre bars of my improved buckles, to perfect the same for use with single haruess,`so that the shafts will be detached from the horse simultaneously with the separation of the traces by the removal of the centre bar, leaving the animal wholly freed from the vehicle. In either case, the attachment of the harness proper to the body ofthe horse remains secure.

Figure 1, of the accompanying drawings, is 'an elevation of the buckle complete for single harness, with.

the straps and traces attached thereto, representing that side of the buckle which is placed next to the animal; l Figure 2 is a transverse section thereof', showing those parts to the right of the line :c x, drawn across iig.` l, and illustrating the form and manner of oombination therewith of the shaft-supporting plate;

Figure 3 is a plan of said shaft-supporting plate; and l Figure 4, a-plan of the lower side plate, which serves as a keeper to the shaft-straps.

A is the rectangular frame of my improved buckle.

Its upper and lower bars, u. a, are enlarged centrally, and perforated to receive a central cross-bar or pin, B, which passes loosely through the same, as shown in the drawings.

C and G are the two divisions of one trace.

The front division, C, of the. trace 0r tug is secured to the front bar a of the buckle, and, extending thence, is attached to the haine in the usual manner.

The rear division, C', is attached to the buckle by means of the cross-bar or pin B, which passes through a loop in its front end, the other end being secured to the whitiletree iu the usual manuel'.

D is the breeching-band.

It is securedlat each end to the rear bars a* of the buckle-frames ou each side of the l1arness.

E E are straps, which are secured to each end of the upper bar a' of the frame on either side of 'the centre thereof, and which unite in a ring, F, to Whie the back strap of the harness is secured.

G is a metallic supporting-plate, of a form subst-antially as shown in iig. 3 ofthe drawings.

Its rear end or tongue is forked, as illustrated in g. 2, to embrace the upper bar` a' of the buckle-frame, both arms of the fork being perforated to vreceive the centre bar or pin B, which, passing through said perforations e e, as well as the central perforation in the upper har a', thus secures it to the buckle-frame, as shown in iig. 2.

"A spring, K, is riveted to its upper surface, and extends into a recess, or through the ring formed on the upp'er end or head of the bar or pin B.

This spring serves the purpose of retaining the centre bar or piu B firmly in place to prevent an aeciy dental displacement thereof.

Where my improved buckles are used for a double harness without the side-supporting plate G, the retaining spring K may be secured to the upperbar a of the buckle-frame to bear upon the head of the pin B, as described.

Through the slot in the frontend of the supporting plate G, a shaft-loop, M, madelin the usual manner, is passed and properly. secured.

The belly-band N of the harness is made fast, as is customary, to the lower portion of the loop M.

To prevent the undue inclination of the buckle, which would result ordinarily from a suspension of the shaft by the plate G cuits upper end alone, I add to the-buckle a second keepe1"plate, H, of the form illustrated in iig. 4 of the drawings.

The tongue ofthe plate is perforated to receive the centre bar B of the buckle, so as to be held thereby over the lower bar a", as shown in iig. 2.

Its outer end is slotted, and the straps forming both the loop M and band N are passed through the slot,

so that the outward strain on the buckle is .equally distributed upon its upper and lower bars, and the buckle consequently retained in a proper vertical position to facilitate the' withdrawal of the centre bar, when required. y

A cord, P, is attached to the head of the centre bar or pin B of each buckle, and passed through rings on the back strap, and .the two cords from the buckles on each side of the animal being brought together in the rear ot' the harness-saddle, are united to extend in a single cord, thence back to a point within reach of the driver'.

In case of a dangerous emergency, the driver, by pulling these cords, willdraw out the centre bars B of the buckles, and thus divide the traces, and at the same time detach the shafts from the harness, completely freeing the horse from his attachment to the carriage either by the traces or shafts.

With a double harness, the withdrawal of the centre bar, simply vsevering the traces, accomplishes this desirable result. A

My buckles, made as thus described, are simple and cheap of manufacture, and present a ready, useful safeguard against the oftentimes horrible and fatal accidents caused by frightened and nnmanageable horses.

I claim, as my invention- 1. The combination of a loose, detachable pin with the frame of a trace-buckle, to form an intermediate cross-ba`r between the ends of the buckle, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The combination of a detachable supporting-plate, G, with the detachable centre bar or pin of a tracebuckle, and with the strap or loop supporting the shaft, all substantially as herein described.

3. The detachable kecper-platc H, in combination with the detachable supporting-plte G and detachable centre bar B of a harness trace-buckle, substantially as herein set forth.

JOHN CHESNUT, JR. Witnesses: GEORGE W. LEIGHTY, THOMAS KIRK. 

